Clyburn on Progressive Critics of Jeffries: 'Most' 'Have Never Done Anything'

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Arena,” Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) responded to a question on criticism of House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) from progressives by saying that “most of these people who are criticizing have never done anything.”

Host Kasie Hunt asked, “Congressman, let me ask you about some of the politics at play here, because, of course, the midterm elections could make Hakeem Jeffries the speaker of the House. And your party has been wrestling, in many ways, between progressives and pragmatists, if you will, and some of the progressives have really criticized Hakeem Jeffries here in the last few weeks. Do you think that Hakeem Jeffries is making the correct balance here among the factions of your party?”

Clyburn responded, “The proof is in the pudding. We’ve been winning. How many special elections have we won this past year? Record-setting. How many discharge petitions on the floor of the United States House of Representatives have we gotten to the floor for a vote? Records. If that’s not inside, outside record setting, what is? When I was growing up in politics here in South Carolina, I used to get a whole lot of criticism for my quote, unquote progressive leanings. And I used to say all the time, you show me a person who’s never been criticized, and I will show you one who’s never done anything. And most of these people who are criticizing have never done anything. This man is running our caucus in a very effective manner. We are having success on the floor of the House of Representatives. We’re having success in these elections, the elections that really count. When you have an intramural battle — and that’s what primaries are — and we have competing interests in primaries, let them fight it out, and once the primary is over, then let’s go coalesce around the winner. Now, I have picked losers in primaries. I have been a loser in the primary, and I’ve always endorsed the person I lost to. And I would hope that continues to be the case in this instance. So, this whole stuff about does Hakeem Jeffries have what it takes? The proof is in the pudding.”

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